authorities respond to latest wave of violence in region plagued by armed banditry

At least 30 armed gunmen were killed on Wednesday during a joint military and police operation in Nigeria’s northwest, following coordinated attacks on several villages in the region. The operation was launched in response to a wave of violence that began Tuesday evening, according to a statement by Nasir Mua’zu, Commissioner for Home Affairs in the affected state.

The government confirmed that three police officers and two soldiers died in the counter-offensive, which targeted heavily armed assailants responsible for the earlier raids. “We are working tirelessly with federal security agencies to ensure the safety of all citizens,” Mua’zu said, adding that efforts are ongoing to restore calm to the area.

The attacks mark the latest in a troubling surge of violence across Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central states. Over recent months, entire communities have come under siege by armed gangs—commonly referred to as bandits—who engage in mass killings and large-scale abductions, often demanding ransom payments. Many of these groups are made up of former pastoralists who have clashed with settled communities over land and resources.

The porous security presence in the mineral-rich northwest has allowed dozens of these groups to flourish, frequently launching attacks on remote villages and major highways with little resistance. In many areas, bandits have established de facto control, using kidnapping for ransom as a key source of funding.